Quick Answer
How do you update a Conversation AI bot and its status from a workflow?
Open Automation → Workflows, add the Update Conversation AI Bot and Status action, choose the bot or Keep Same, set the bot to Active or Inactive, and when using Inactive, optionally configure a reactivation time in minutes, hours, or days. Save and test the workflow using the channel your contacts will use.
What This Workflow Action Does
There are times when you want a Conversation AI bot to respond normally, and other times when the bot should stay silent, such as during a handoff to a person.
The Update Conversation AI Bot and Status workflow action lets automation control both the bot assignment and whether that bot is currently Active or Inactive.
You can assign a specific bot to a contact, keep the existing bot assignment, pause the bot, activate it, or automatically reactivate an inactive bot after a chosen amount of time.
This helps keep bot behavior aligned with the contact's current stage instead of relying on manual assignment or status changes.
Status changes happen when the workflow reaches the action
The source guide notes that this workflow action applies immediately when the workflow reaches the step rather than waiting for the current conversation to end.
Bot and Status Action at a Glance
Before You Begin
Decide which bot should control the conversation and when it should be active before adding the workflow action.
- Open or create the workflow where bot assignment should change.
- Confirm the Conversation AI bot you want to use already exists.
- Make sure the bot supports the communication channel used by the contact.
- Decide whether the workflow should assign a new bot or keep the existing bot.
- Decide whether the bot should become Active or Inactive.
- If using Inactive, decide when the bot should automatically reactivate.
- Plan If/Else branches if different contacts should receive different bots.
Step-by-Step: Update the Conversation AI Bot and Status
Add the workflow action, choose the bot assignment, configure its status, and test the result.
Open the Workflow
Go to Automation → Workflows and open an existing workflow or create a new one.
Add a New Action
Click + where you want the bot assignment or status change to happen.
Select Update Conversation AI Bot and Status
Search for and select Update Conversation AI Bot and Status.
Choose the Bot
Select the Conversation AI bot you want assigned to the contact.
Choose Keep Same when you only want to change the current bot's status without assigning a different bot.
Choose Active or Inactive
Set the bot status to Active when it should respond or Inactive when it should remain silent.
Configure Reactivation
When the bot is set to Inactive, configure the reactivation time if you want it to become active again automatically.
The source page uses 24 as an example and allows the time unit to be set to minutes, hours, or days.
Save the Workflow
Save the action and the workflow after reviewing the bot, status, and reactivation settings.
Test the Workflow
Test using the same channel your contacts will use, such as SMS, Messenger, or Live Chat.
Use Keep Same for simple pause-and-resume workflows
If the contact already has the correct bot assigned, Keep Same lets the workflow change only the Active or Inactive status without switching bots.
Assign Bots Dynamically with Triggers and Branches
This workflow action can be combined with triggers, filters, and If/Else branches so different contacts receive different bot assignments.
Customer Replied
Use the reply channel as part of the logic, then assign a bot designed for that communication channel.
Form Submitted
Tag the new contact and assign a bot designed for new-lead conversations.
Payment Received
Assign an onboarding bot and set its status to Active after the purchase.
If/Else Branching
Use conditional branches when bot assignment should vary by tags, trigger type, pipeline stage, channel, intent, or other workflow criteria.
Channel-Specific Notes
The Bot Channel Must Be Enabled
If the assigned bot is not enabled for the contact's communication channel, the action will not work as expected for that channel.
Different Channels Can Use Different Bots
Use branching when you want one bot for SMS, another for Messenger, and another for Live Chat.
Keep Same Preserves the Assignment
Use Keep Same when the purpose of the workflow step is only to pause or resume the bot.
The action takes effect immediately
The source guide states that the change is applied when the workflow reaches this action rather than waiting for the current conversation to finish.
Real-World Use Cases
Tag-Based Assignment
When a contact receives a tag such as Call Booked, assign a bot designed to support the booking process.
SMS Engagement
After an SMS reply, assign an SMS-focused bot and set the bot to Active.
Post-Purchase Onboarding
After payment, assign an onboarding bot and keep it active for the period your onboarding workflow requires.
The source page uses 7 days as an example.
Human Handoff
When a contact requests a person, set the bot to Inactive during the handoff and configure automatic reactivation afterward when appropriate.
The source page uses 24 hours as an example.
Bot Assignment Best Practices
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I assign multiple bots to one contact?
What happens if the assigned bot’s channel is disabled?
Can I use conditional logic to assign bots?
How do I check which bot is assigned to a contact?
Can I update the bot’s status manually?
Continue Learning
Continue learning how Conversation AI workflows, bot status, handoffs, and related bot actions work together.
